Propulsion of vessels.



Patented June 25, 191&

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

D I z W 0 .r. H

v u n R. W. DAVIS.

PROPULSION 0F VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23. 1917.

R. W. DAVIS.

PROPULSION OFIVESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED mums. I917.

1 ,270603 Patented J une 25, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WY/I'M 40M ROBERT WILLIAM DAVIS, 01? EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

PROPULSION 0F VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 23, 1917. Serial No. 176,480.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ronnn'r lVILLIAM DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Propulsion of Vessels, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to the propulsion of vessels and has for its object to provide means for propelling a ship or boat by removing the water from in front of it and discharging the same rearwardly along lines substantially parallel to the sides of the prow of the vessel.

YWhen the water is driven in paths parallel to the prow of the vessel, it surges back at the stern of the boat and further helps the vessel along. Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

The invention will be hereinafter described in connection with the accompanyingdrawings which constitute part of this specification, and then more specifically defined in the claims at the end of the description.

A In theaccompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views; a j

" Figure '1 is a broken plan view of the prow of a vessel with propellers mounted thereon substantially in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a broken front elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a section view on the line III- III of Fig. 1.

'F'Fig. i is a section on the line IV--IV of Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the prow of the vessel; showing one of the members ofthe journal for the propeller shaft removed.

Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of the journal bearin as shown in Fig. 5.

,Fig. 7 is a broken detail view of the front end ortion of one of the side plates of the vesstil, showing the opening made therein to fit around the arm which supports the journal bearing for the propeller shaft.

Fig. 8 is a detail plan view of the front end portions of these side plates with the V-shaped casting for supporting the journals removed, and

Fig. 9 is a section on the line IXIX of Fig. 8.

The sides of the hull of the vessel are formed of plates 1 which are fastened to the prongs 3 of a V-shaped casting 2 by rivets 4, passed through holes 40 in said plates, said plates being set in flush with the front portion of said casting which constitutes the prow of the ship. This V-shaped casting 2 may extend the full height of the hull, and it has cast integral therewith oppositely extending arms 5 which are elliptical in cross section, as illustrated in Fig. 3, so that its front and rear edges 16 will cut through the water and offer the least possible resistance thereto. The front end of each of the plates 1 is cut away, as at 100, Fig. 7, to fit closely around one of the arms 5. Cast integral with each of the arms 5 is one member 60 of the journal for a propeller shaft 8, said member constituting one longitudinal half of said journal hearing. The supplemental member 6 of the journal is detachably secured to the member 60 by bolts 64 passed through longitudinal flanges 62 on the member 60 and G3 on the member 6. These flanges preferably extend the full length of the upper and lower edges of the cylindrical body portion of the journal. The front end portion of each journal is made conical in form, as at 7, to reduce the resistance which it offers to the water.

Each propeller shaft 8 is disposed parallel to the adjacent side of the prow of the vessel, so that the propeller 9 will not only removethe water from in front of the vessel but will discharge said water rearwardly in paths in which it will offer the least possible resistance to the forward movement of the vessel, that is, parallel to the diverging sides of the front portion of the said vessel. The propeller shafts 8 are driven through universal joints 10 by auxiliary shafts 11 disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vessel and passing through the sides thereof at 12. The universal joints 10 are housed by casings 13 supported by arms 11 fastened to the side plates by rivets 15. The arms 14 are made elliptical in cross-section, as illustrated in Fig. 4, so that their front and rear edges 17 will cut through the water and offer the least possible resistance thereto.

To lubricate the propeller shaft 8 in its journal bearing, an oil duct 18 extends vertically down through the V-shaped casting Patented June 25, 1918.

the arms 5 to the journals.

19 to the front ends of the shafts 8, and still other branch ducts 23 furnish oil to the outer portions of the thrust bearings 22.

. Oontinuations -25 of the branch ducts 21' joints 10 and furlead back to the universal nish oil thereto.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by'Letters Patent of the United States is Vessel, of a propeller mounted in'fixedbearings at one sideof the prow thereof, the axis of the propeller being arranged substantially parallel to the adjacent side of the prow, a shaft arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vessel, a universal joint coupling the propeller to said shaft and means for lubricating said bearings and the universal joint. p j p 2. The combination with the hull of a vessel, of a casting constituting the prow thereof, oppositely extending arms integral with said casting, propellers journaled in said arms and arranged with their axes sub stantially parallel tothe adjacentsides of the prow, and means for driving said propellers. v

3. The combination with "diverging plates constituting the sides of the front portion of the hull of a vessel, of a casting connected to the front ends of said plates and constituting the prow of the vessel, oppositely extending arms integral with the casting, propellers journaled in said arms and disposed with their axes substantially parallel to the adjacent side plates, and means for driving said propellers. I I

4. The combination with diverging plates constituting the sides of the front portion of the hull of a vessel, of a casting set in between the front ends of said plates and constitutingthe prow of the vessel, oppositely extending arms integral with said casting, the front ends of said plates being cut out to fit around said arms, propellers journaled in said arms, and means fordrivingsaid propellers.

5.. The combination With the hull of a vessel, of arms extending inopposite directions from the prow thereof, propellers journaled in said arms and'disposed with their axes substantially" parallel to the adjacent sides of the prow, shafts disposed-parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vessel, universal join-ts couplingsaid shafts: to the propellers, housings for said universal joints, and arms fastened to the sides of the hull and supporting said housing.

6. 'Thecombination with the hull of a vessel, of arms extending-in opposite directions fromthe prow thereof-, propellers journaled longitudinal axis of the vessel, universal joints coupling said shafts to the propellers, l1ousings=for said universal joints, and arms fastened to the sides of the hull and support ingsaid housings, said latter arms-being elliptical in cross-section with front and rear'edges for the" purpose specified.

7 The combination with the prow' of a vessel, of arms extending in opposite directions therefrom, propellers journaled in said 1. The combinationwith the hull of arms, andoil ducts extending throughsaid arms to the journals] 7 I j 8. The combinationwith the side plates of the hull of a vessel, of a casting secured to the front, ends of the said plates and com stituting the prow of the vessel, oppositely extending arms integral with saidcasting, propellers journaled in said arms,.a main oil duct in saidcasting, and branch oil ducts leading from the main oil duct through the arms to the journals.

9. The combination with the prow of a vessel, of. arms extending in opposite direc'-.

tions therefrom, propellers j ournaled in said arms, shafts for driving said propellers, universal joints coupling the shafts to the propellers, oil ducts extending through the arms to the journals,-and continuations of said oil ducts leading from the journals ,to the universal joints. 1 j W 10. The combination with a propellenof a shaft therefor extending at both sides of the propeller, the part of the shaft on; one side of the propeller carrying all thethrust or axial tension, and the part of the shafton t-he other side of-the all of the torque. r

11. The combination with a propeller, of a shaft therefor made'in two sections, a unipropeller-l carrying versal joint connecting the two sections, one

section carrying torque but no thrust tothe umversal oint, the other section having the propeller mounted thereon and 'carryin', ;all

the torque between the universal joint and the propeller, there being an extension-of this section at the other sideof the propeller which extension carries an axial tension.

12. The combination with a-propeller, of a shaft therefor made in two sections, a combined radial and thrust hearing in which one end portion of. one section of the shaft the thrust or is mounted, the propeller beingzcarried'by a portion of said-section which projectsv from said bearing, a coupling connecting said shaft section to the other section at the other side of the propeller from the thrust bearing, the par-t of the propeller-carryingsection'of the shaft on the bearing side ofsaid propeller carrying all the thrust or axial tension, and the part of said-section onthe other or coupling side of the propeller carrying all the torque, the other section of the shaft carrying torque but no thrust to the propeller-carrying section through the coupling.

13. The combination with the hull of a vessel, of a rigid arm projecting therefrom, a propeller shaft made in two sections, a combined radial and thrust bearing on said arm in which bearing one section of the shaft is journaled, a propeller mounted on a portion of said section projecting from said bearing, said shaft section carrying all the thrust or axial tension and no torque on the bearing side of the propeller, said propellercarrying section of the shaft having an extension at the other side of the propeller from the hearing which extension carries torque but no thrust, the other section of the shaft also carrying torque but no thrust, and a coupling connecting said shaft sections.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ROBERT WILLIAM DAVIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

